<p>What’s the point of the argument? If someone wants to go to UNC because HE really feels a strong connection w/ the school and HE wants to attend there… who are you to question where he wants to go and what school he should go to?</p>
<p><em>For those who went to scholarship day</em> did you guys get back the amt. of $ you were awarded or the kinds of scholarship you received?</p>
<p>SkeezeyJ: Congratulations. I am glad to see someone that realizes that fit is as important as rank. </p>
<p>Rebel11: Rank is not everything if the school is not a good fit. FYI: Carolina does meet 100% of need. Also, Carolina Scholars offers some perks other than money that can make the school VERY attractive. Many of the present scholars have turned down the IVYs, MIT, … to attend Carolina. And yes, they did admit that cost was one of the factors.</p>
<p>Yes my daughter received an email with her reward information. She has not gotten the snail mail details yet.</p>
<p>Well Win, I’m the one who is letting a poster know that they maybe making a huge mistake. They can take my advise or ignore it .If you or Skeez don’t see the value in my advise than that’s your problem not mine.And for Noname, I’d like to know how many turn down the Ivy’s and other top 15 schools to go to UNC on an apples for apples cost basis. Surely your joking.</p>
<p>No I am not joking. Each of the five students that were on the discussion panel stated the schools that they were admitted to. Each was admitted to top ten schools including the Ivy’s. A few admitted that the full scholarship was a tipping point in their decision. I did not ask if the other schools made a better money offer would the decision be different. Frankly, it was none of my business. </p>
<p>SkeezeyJ will have no problem being challenged by his peers and professors. The point is that there are many bright people who for one reason or another decide that the Ivy’s are not for them. It is a personal choice.</p>
<p>^ To be clear, my point re: this discussion is how likely is it that a student who would get a 100% free ride to almost any top 15 school to choose UNC instead?? We all know what the real answer is.</p>
<p>@Rebel-While I value your opinion, there are legitimate reasons why a kid qualified for the ivy league won’t go. My daughter also visited several top schools, spent a summer at Penn and said she did not want to apply to any ivies or Hopkins, Chicago, MIT, CM or Stanford. She loves the school spirit at UNC, the higher diversity than the ivies, the D1 sports,</p>
<p>But the most important thing to her is that she said the students seemed happy and not stressed so she felt happy. That was good enough for me and not bad advice. There are kids and parents dream of the ivies all their lives and think that’s their golden ticket to success, wealth and happiness, but that route isn’t for everyone.</p>
<p>Ok Amaz, I hear what your saying. If we assume the OP isn’t a ■■■■■, we’d have to believe that none of the top schools in the country are a “fit” for her/him.If we took a poll of all college applicants in America and gave them a choice of a free ride to any top 15 school or UNC, how many do you think would pick UNC. That’s the question.I’d bet the % that would pick UNC is <.0001%</p>
<p>Congratulations, future Tar Heels! 
It was… six years ago (yikes!) when I went to Scholarship Day, but I remember very clearly falling in love with Carolina that day, looking at the seal, and knowing that I had found my future home. I’m out in LA now, and even though I love it out here, my heart is very heavy when I think about the old well. Especially during basketball season…</p>
<p>A full ride, or anywhere close to it, is absolutely not something to take lightly — especially for those considering graduate school. I wouldn’t where I am today if I’d taken on loans for undergrad.</p>
<p>It is not a stupid decision at all to turn down much higher ranked schools for Carolina. Every applicant is different. For most of the population, it’s critical that you take your finances into consideration. Look into the programs offered, how much housing costs on/off campus (and figure out where most students live), reputation of departments, and alumni network. A strong alumni network is very helpful after you graduate. I just had coffee with a Carolina grad I found from the GAA who put me in touch with someone at a company I’m interviewing for. That’s what a good network does. Other schools with strong networks: Northwestern, UVA, Ivies, USC (So Cal), Vandy, and Miami. Just something to keep in mind.</p>
<p>Even schools ranked much lower than Carolina can give you a very strong education. It’s been very interesting to see who has done well at law school. Law schools don’t care what undergrad students went to, really just GPAs and LSATs. There doesn’t seem to be a strong relationship to undergraduate ranking and performance in law school, though there is plenty of data relating major to law school performance. FYI. All this is to say, to those very stressed or concerned about undergraduate prestige, it simply is a non-issue for most fields, but I will say that Carolina’s name does carry.</p>
<p>Finally, as I leave my yearly unsolicited advice here, let me stress to all future and current undergrads to use your degree to build skills that will be marketable upon graduation. Ask yourself what the world needs more of, and go train yourself in that. By all means, major in something you like, but try and figure out what it is that you like that is helpful to other people. For example - if you want to major in English… feel free to (gulp), but supplement that major with something that the world actually needs more of, or join clubs where you are learning skills that add something to employers or clients. Carolina’s entrepreneurship minor is excellent and works well with a number of majors; I wish it was around when I was a first year. Also, get involved with labs as soon as possible. Publish your work, if possible. But, if everything I said stressed you out, know that employers are not so insistent as colleges are that you schedule 100% of your time in college. In my interviews for law schools and work, most people like to ask me about being a DJ or playing in a band rather than what life was like in a lab, etc. Don’t forget to have lots and lots of fun. Thankfully, Carolina’s good at providing distractions… </p>
<p>Explore Carolina, challenge yourself, and most of all, HARK THE SOUND!! Congratulations again to all!</p>
<p>I won’t check this post so as always just PM me if you have questions.</p>
<p>Oh, and forgot to add, it really is not the craziest thing for someone not to like any Ivies. I cannot deal with cold weather or darkness, so for grad schools I limited all my applications to warmer schools. The deep depression I feel when it’s cold out just isn’t worth it, at some point you stand back and have to consider why you’re really living your life. People doing well and finding happiness at Yale is wonderful, but that doesn’t mean that someone at NC A&T isn’t also able to do well and find happiness. Blessedly, our world doesn’t work that way. Just my $.02.</p>
<p>Has anyone heard anything more about Pogue? Original email said would hear back by February 25 and no email or snail mail here.</p>
<p>Is this the mysterious merit scholarship UNC referred to in the email? They said something about finalists being 140/15K applicants, along with a March 22 scholarship day, but no monetary amounts or scholarship name. Is it Pogue? It sounds kind of cute, actually. :)</p>
<p>Has anyone received anything about the RD Scholars Day?</p>
<p>^Like, where the heck do you go to RSVP or decline? It says to go through the MyCarolina portal, but that thing is a mess of links. Urgh, I feel so incompetent. Can’t find the right one.</p>
<p>Did anybody get anything in the mail yet?..</p>